Streams

Streams are the life blood of island ecosystems and a major focus of our work. Our sole source aquifer feeds our streams and is our only source of clean fresh water so it is crucial that we steward our watersheds well.

Stream Bugs

Aquatic macroinvertebrates, affectionately known as stream bugs, are sentinels of watershed health. Living in the creekbed, they experience and change in response to impacts throughout the watershed.

Each fall, volunteers help us collect macroinvertebrate samples from island creeks. By recording the species that are present and absent, we can form hypotheses about watershed health, track the impacts of changing land use, and assess whether stream restoration projects are working.